Campaign Finance (Super PACs)

News about Campaign Finance (Super PACs), including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Feb. 26, 2015

The Upshot; paper by University of Maryland Prof David Karol finds that many United States senators who want to retire tend to announce their plans by January of their election year in order to avoid hectic fund-raising schedule and to allow their successors more time to start their own fund-raising efforts. MORE

Feb. 26, 2015

Yearslong investigation into Working Families Party yields 23-count indictment against David Jones and David G Thomas, former aids of Staten Island city councilwoman Deborah L Rose; charges include improper campaign finance activities; special prosecutor Roger Bennet Adler declines to bring charges against the party itself. MORE

Feb. 22, 2015

Frank Bruni Op-Ed column questions how independent prospective presidential candidates like Jeb Bush and Hillary Rodham Clinton can be given that both will raise enormous amounts of money; identifies how news media is complicit in not drawing attention to issue, as politicians being beholden to donors who give large amounts of money is so widespread that it no longer qualifies as news. MORE

Feb. 13, 2015

Republican political consultant Tyler E Harber pleads guilty to charges that he illegally managed 2012 Virgina congressional campaign of Chris Perkins while helping direct super PAC that spent $325,000 attacking rival candidate; case appears to be first of its kind brought by federal prosecutors in the wake of Supreme Court's 2010 Citizen's United decision. MORE

Feb. 12, 2015

The Upshot; Wisconsin Gov Scott Walker's donors in his 2016 presidential bid, which tend to be deeply conservative, reach way beyond state, largely due to 2012 recall election that fashioned him a nationwide conservative hero. MORE

Feb. 6, 2015

Fund-raising consultant Mary Pat Bonner is among highly-paid specialists who raise money for politicians and receive cut of proceeds, increasingly necessary service in post-Citizens United world; some donors have objected to high fees and middleman status of paid fund-raisers, while others contend that paying consultants on commission creates problems and is unethical. MORE

Feb. 5, 2015

Illinois Gov Bruce Rauner, in his first State of the State address, says state should not allow some political contributions by public employee unions, and should permit local 'right to work' laws; says state should reward government employees for their work rather than length of service; Republican governor's attempt to limit labor's clout in Democratic-controlled legislature will be problematical. MORE

Feb. 3, 2015

New York Gov Andrew M Cuomo calls on Legislature to pass clean-government program following Speaker Sheldon Silver's arrest on corruption charges; vows not to sign budget that lacks full slate of ethics reforms and urges lawmakers to fully disclose their outside income and public financing of campaigns in effort to rebuild trust with New Yorkers. MORE

Jan. 27, 2015

Group of roughly 300 political donors led by billionaires Charles G and David H Koch plans to spend nearly $900 million in the 2016 campaign, figure that is in line with spending by the Republican and Democratic Parties; spending will eclipse the $400 million group laid out in 2012; group seeks to leverage Republican control of Congress as it pursues deregulation, tax cuts and other free-market policies. MORE

Jan. 26, 2015

Op-Ed article by Prof Zephyr Teachout, in light of corruption charges against New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, argues kickbacks and quid pro quo are a natural outgrowth of state's campaign finance system; holds even legal contributions can exert a strong corrupting influence, and can lead to outright bribery as politicians become more calloused; calls for systemic reform, including a rejection of private campaign financing. MORE

Jan. 25, 2015

Editorial laments that much-needed reforms to campaign finance are languishing in Congress and have little hope of being passed into law, even as 2016 presidential election cycle begins; notes money spent on 2016 presidential campaign is expected to be larger than ever, and regulatory apparatus for policing such spending has either been defanged or paralyzed by Republicans. MORE

Jan. 21, 2015

Conservative oil billionaires Charles and David Koch will be holding their annual winter seminar, or so-called Koch primary, near Palm Springs, Calif, inviting Republican 2016 presidential hopefuls; GOP candidates are intensely competitive for Koch brothers' embrace and attention, as their network holds about 300 wealthy conservative donors; Kochs' political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity spent $120 million in 2012 presidential cycle. MORE

Jan. 21, 2015

Supreme Court justices reflect on power and dignity of judiciary while hearing arguments in Florida case on whether state can prohibit judicial candidates from personally asking for campaign contributions. MORE

Jan. 19, 2015

Supreme Court will hear case involving First Amendment challenge to state rules banning judicial candidates from directly asking for money for their election campaigns; currently, 30 of 39 states with judicial elections ban this practice in effort to avoid possible conflict of interest; though most American legal groups support ban, many lower court judges say these types of requests are not more likely to lead to corruption. MORE

Jan. 19, 2015

Editorial opposes challenge to Florida law banning judicial candidates from asking potential campaign donors for money; notes opponents' arguments that law restricts free speech, and counters that due process and independent judiciary are as important; holds that judges cannot remain impartial when receiving donations from those they preside over; says states must combat improper influence of money. MORE

Jan. 9, 2015

Federal grand jurors are scheduled to hear testimony and receive documents from Carol E Williams, executive director of Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, about loans made in 2013 and 2014 to re-election campaign of Gov Sam Brownback; information on the grand jury investigation is revealed in subpoena of a Kansas ethics official. MORE

Jan. 7, 2015

Former Florida Gov Jeb Bush begins wooing donors for 2016 presidential run and outlines major campaign themes, turning himself into most powerful figure within emerging Republican field; announces creation of political action committee Right to Rise; intends to emphasize big issues like immigration overhaul and income inequality. MORE

Jan. 7, 2015

Federal Election Commission lawsuit accuses former Republican Senate candidate from Delaware Christine O'Donnell of illegally using at least $20,000 in campaign contributions to pay bills at townhouse she lived and worked in. MORE

Dec. 19, 2014

Burgeoning industry matches plaintiffs’ lawyers with mostly Democratic attorneys general to sue companies, setting off an intense competition among trial lawyers and lobbyists to influence these officials; private lawyers, while trolling for contracts, have also donated tens of thousands of dollars to attorneys general campaigns; emails and lawyer contracts obtained by New York Times from attorneys general in 15 states show how alliances have jumbled roles in legal profession (Series: Courting Favor). MORE

Dec. 19, 2014

Jim Dwyer About New York column remarks on political influence of Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association union, which has gotten bill passed giving Queens, rather than Bronx, district attorney jurisdiction over Rikers Island prison complex; union has given significant amount of money to state elected officials and campaign committees of both parties. MORE

Dec. 19, 2014

Hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal, Democratic fund-raiser who faced up to 57 months in prison for violating campaign finance laws and witness tampering, is sentenced to three years probation. MORE

Dec. 18, 2014

Op-Ed article by environmentalist Robert F Kennedy Jr contends coal is an outlaw enterprise, with many companies in industry routinely defying safety and environmental laws and standards; says coal industry's influence and campaign donations in Appalachia, particularly Kentucky and West Virginia, leave America's mountains, rivers and people in great danger. MORE

Dec. 17, 2014

Government officials say that Obama administration waived ban preventing wealthy, politically connected Ecuadorean woman Estefania Isaias from coming to United States after her family donated tens of thousands of dollars to Democratic campaigns; over past few years, administration appears to have favored Isaias family, which Ecuador accuses of buying protection and living in Miami off profits of looted bank. MORE

Dec. 14, 2014

Bipartisan agreement between Senate Democrats and Republicans to allow wealthy donors to begin giving more than $1 million every election cycle to each party’s national committees continues to draw fierce attacks; negotiations for provision began as Republicans considered how they would fund 2016 convention; Democrats also had funding concerns. MORE

Dec. 12, 2014

New York City Campaign Finance Board approves agreement under which lobbying group New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets will pay $26,054 fine for making illegal campaign contributions to two City Council candidates in 2013; group is not hit with maximum charge because it is cooperating in an investigation. MORE

Dec. 12, 2014

Editorial decries House's passage of 2015 spending bill containing two riders aimed at appeasing moneyed donors, as well as collection of other regressive moves; notes that first rider allows huge increase in allowable size of political donations, while second kills crucial part of Dodd-Frank reform law aimed at curbing banks’ reckless speculation in complex derivatives; holds that bills are damaging to both good government and tax payers. MORE

Dec. 11, 2014

The Upshot; Federal Election Commission records show that political groups not officially linked to specific candidates spent more than $814 million to influence 2014 congressional elections, record for midterms and nearly twice the spending in 2010; increase is likely due to Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision and rise of super PACs. MORE

Dec. 11, 2014

New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets, group lobbying for ban on carriage horses, is disputing five-figure penalty for making illegal campaign contributions to New York City Council members Mark D Levine and Laurie Cumbo in 2013; argues that fine is responsibility of its former political consultant Advance Group. MORE

Dec. 9, 2014

Missouri Atty Gen Chris Koster defends himself against allegations that his office did favors for companies that contributed to his political campaigns and lobbied him directly. MORE

Dec. 7, 2014

Binyamin Appelbaum It's the Economy column notes that, despite Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling allowing people to spend as much as they like on campaign donations, surprisingly small number of wealthy people and corporations are doing so; reflects that buying elections is highly inefficient for those seeking to influence the political system. MORE

Nov. 21, 2014

Editorial expresses alarm that entire industry has sprung up to lobby state attorneys general on behalf of companies under scrutiny, or that need special legal benefits from a state; urges state lawmakers to expand lobbying laws to cover attorneys general and to put lower limits on how much donor can give to attorney general's campaign. MORE

Nov. 20, 2014

Missouri Atty Gen Chris Koster announces curbs on campaign contributions from companies he has targeted for investigation; contender for governor in 2016 has been criticized for possibly giving preferential treatment to contributors and lobbyists. MORE

Nov. 19, 2014

Washington Mayor Vincent Gray declines to respond to news reports that he rejected deal offered by federal prosecutors for him to plead guilty to a single felony count related to activities during his 2010 campaign MORE

Nov. 19, 2014

Jim Dwyer About New York column observes case against David Jones and David Thomas, who are accused of stealing funds from New York City's Campaign Finance Board in 2009, is distinguished from others by appointment of special prosecutor Roger Bennet Adler to investigate single City Council campaign of candidate Deborah Rose; notes criminal charges are being brought over expenditures that would normally be corrected or penalized through audits by the board. MORE

Nov. 18, 2014

The Upshot; Lawrence Lessig, who created Mayday super PAC to fight big money in political campaigns, says he plans to continue his fight, despite fact that most of politicians backed by Mayday in midterm elections lost their races. MORE

Nov. 14, 2014

Democracy Alliance, nation's leading group of liberal philanthropists and political donors, seems to be shrugging off defeat of Democrats in midterm elections and is planning for long-term resurgence of progressive ideas; in sign of how passions of large donors have come to define landscape of issues in national elections, alliance members are poised to expand funding to fight for climate-change measures and restrictions on money in politics. MORE

Nov. 9, 2014

Editorial laments that chances next Senate will take action to reduce influence of money on politics are nil, given that new Republican majority was elected on greatest wave of secret, special-interest money ever raised in congressional election. MORE

Nov. 8, 2014

Joe Nocera Op-Ed column submits unlimited campaign spending is not by itself a problem but post-election assumption that money confers political influence is; points out some are 'ideological givers,' who are motivated to get like-minded people elected, while others are 'transactional givers,' who donate because they expect something concrete in return; holds incessant fundraising and diminished voter confidence tied to big money are also politically damaging. MORE

Nov. 7, 2014

Tom Steyer, the billionaire environmentalist who spent at least $57 million of his own money to influence midterm elections, more than any other Democratic donor, appears to have largely wasted his time and money; most of his candidates lost; Steyer, however, says that his money was well-spent because it put climate change on the ballot across the nation and elevated the issue to keep it on the public radar. MORE

Nov. 6, 2014

Republican Party's success in taking control of Senate is not only a major victory for GOP, but also a pivotal moment for super PACs and political non-profit groups that helped trounce Democrats across country; over last year and a half, conservative outside groups retooled and revamped, using lessons in how to exploit voter data, opposition research and advertising; all told, Republican outside groups spent about $205 million on television advertising in Senate races, while Democratic groups spent $132 million. MORE

Nov. 5, 2014

The Upshot; midterm elections feature record expenditures, much like every election in recent times; it is worth paying attention to how money was spent and the changes affecting the election system, because those changes will allow groups to reach voters with more specific political messages; 'Super PACS' are here to stay, and result could be a hardening of partisan views and potential creation of new voting coalitions. MORE

Nov. 5, 2014

New York Gov Andrew M Cuomo reportedly raised more than $45 million over past four years; coffers allowed him to flood airwaves and voters' mailboxes with messages promoting himself and portraying opponent Rob Astorino as reckless, intolerant and callous; Astorino, as of October, had raised only $4.8 million. MORE

Nov. 3, 2014

Outside groups, some of them super PACs, are pouring tens of millions of dollars into campaign attack ads and automated calls as Election Day draws near, adding volatility in close races; total spending on Senate races reached $200 million in October alone, significantly more than in same period before 2010 midterms. MORE

Nov. 3, 2014

Judicial races have been evolving into another political battleground for big money, as can be seen in Montana race between State Supreme Court Justice Mike Wheat and his opponent Lawrence VanDyke. MORE

Nov. 3, 2014

Editorial warns there is growing evidence that donations to judicial election campaigns may be influencing rulings; contends that judicial branch must be insulated as much as possible from normal political pressures if it is to be meaningful check on other branches of government. MORE

Nov. 2, 2014

A monthly political fund-raiser draws Republican members of the House Financial Services Committee and Wall Street lobbyists willing to read a book, and make a contribution, in exchange for access. MORE

Nov. 1, 2014

New York Atty Gen Eric Schneiderman and challenger John Cahill both say that political associations run by Democratic and Republican attorneys general must discontinue taking money from corporations that are targets of investigations; Schneiderman says he may step down from his party’s group if it did not curtail practice. MORE

Nov. 1, 2014

Republican Bruce H Wilson Jr charges that his opponent in Connecticut Senate district, Ted Kennedy Jr, benefited from large gifts by relatives and business associates to the state party, which in turn spent the money in support of the Kennedy campaign; Kennedy denies any wrongdoing. MORE

Oct. 31, 2014

Analysis of New York State's Board of elections filings shows that independent political groups, mirroring their rise in federal elections, are playing a larger role than ever in state races in New York; outside groups have spent about $13 million in 2014 in key State Senate contests, making them major players in races from Long Island to Buffalo that could determine the balance of power in Albany. MORE

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In one resort town after another, the Republican presidential hopefuls are making their case to exclusive gatherings of donors whose wealth was unleashed by the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision.

A yearslong inquiry into the party, the influential left-leaning group that helped fuel the rise of Mayor Bill de Blasio, has resulted in the indictments of two former aides to Deborah L. Rose, a Staten Island city councilwoman.

Mike Murphy, the Republican strategist who has played a critical role in getting Jeb Bush’s message out, may not end up working for Mr. Bush’s all-but-certain campaign for president, but for his “super PAC” instead.

Multimedia

Adam Liptak, Supreme Court correspondent for The Times, discussed a case on judicial elections, Williams-Yulee v. The Florida Bar, with the specific issue being whether judges can ask for campaign money.

The New York Times submitted open-records requests for correspondence between certain energy industry executives and attorneys general who are helping lead an effort they call the Rule of Law campaign to combat Obama administration regulations. Thousands of pages of correspondence emerged. Here is a sampling of the documents, showing how the regulated industries and their lobbyists have secretly worked with the attorneys general to combat Washington.